Skills and the Head Start framework
Which early-learning goals each Talebard skill practises, and the lessons that teach it.
On this page
Lessons on the Learn trail are built around simple skills, like counting to ten or hearing words that rhyme. We design each skill around the preschool goals it practises in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF), published by the Office of Head Start, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The tables below are made from the same data the lessons use, so they're always up to date. For each skill you'll find the framework goals it covers, in the framework's own words, and the lessons where your kid practises it.
What “aligned” means
Aligned means each skill was designed around those goals. It doesn't mean Talebard covers the whole framework, and the stars and levels in Talebard aren't an official assessment of your kid.
Talebard is not affiliated with or endorsed by Head Start.
Skills and goals
Numbers
| Skill | Head Start ELOF goals | Lessons |
|---|---|---|
| 🔢 Counts up to 5 things | P-MATH 1 Child knows number names and the count sequence. P-MATH 3 Child understands the relationship between numbers and quantities. |
Counting to 5, Numbers 1 to 5, One more |
| 🔟 Counts up to 10 things | P-MATH 1 Child knows number names and the count sequence. P-MATH 3 Child understands the relationship between numbers and quantities. |
Counting to 10, One more, one less, I can do it!, Quick look, bigger groups, Numbers 6 to 10 |
| 👀 Sees how many at a glance | P-MATH 2 Child recognizes the number of objects in a small set. |
Quick look, Quick look, bigger groups |
| 5️⃣ Knows the numbers 1 to 5 | P-MATH 5 Child associates a quantity with written numerals up to 5 and begins to write numbers. |
Numbers 1 to 5, Numbers 6 to 10 |
| ➕ Adds one more and takes one away | P-MATH 6 Child understands addition as adding to and understands subtraction as taking away from. |
One more, One more, one less, Friends come and go |
Comparing
| Skill | Head Start ELOF goals | Lessons |
|---|---|---|
| ⚖️ Finds which group has more or less | P-MATH 4 Child compares numbers. |
More or less, More, less or the same, Compare big groups, Same or not? |
| 📏 Compares big and small | P-MATH 8 Child measures objects by their various attributes using standard and non-standard measurement. Uses differences in attributes to make comparisons. |
Big and small, Biggest of all |
Shapes
| Skill | Head Start ELOF goals | Lessons |
|---|---|---|
| 🔺 Names circles, squares, triangles and rectangles | P-MATH 9 Child identifies, describes, compares, and composes shapes. |
Meet the shapes, Shapes every which way, Shape detective, Shapes and places, Four-shape sort |
| 📦 Says where things are: on, under, next to, in | P-MATH 10 Child explores the positions of objects in space. |
Where is it?, On, under, next to, Shapes and places |
Patterns & sorting
| Skill | Head Start ELOF goals | Lessons |
|---|---|---|
| 🗂️ Sorts things by color, shape and size | P-MATH 8 Child measures objects by their various attributes using standard and non-standard measurement. Uses differences in attributes to make comparisons. P-MATH 9 Child identifies, describes, compares, and composes shapes. |
Sorting colors, Big and small, Shapes every which way, Biggest of all, Four-shape sort, Color sort challenge |
| 🔁 Finds what comes next in a pattern | P-MATH 7 Child understands simple patterns. |
What comes next?, Tricky patterns, Pattern master, Pattern mix |
Letters & words
| Skill | Head Start ELOF goals | Lessons |
|---|---|---|
| 🔤 Knows letters of the alphabet | P-LIT 3 Child identifies letters of the alphabet and produces correct sounds associated with letters. |
Letters A to F, Trace the letters, More letters, All the letters, Trace tricky letters |
| 🅱️ Hears the first sound of a word | P-LIT 1 Child demonstrates awareness that spoken language is composed of smaller segments of sound. P-LIT 3 Child identifies letters of the alphabet and produces correct sounds associated with letters. |
First sounds |
| 🎵 Hears words that rhyme | P-LIT 1 Child demonstrates awareness that spoken language is composed of smaller segments of sound. |
Rhyme time, Rhyme hunt |
| 👏 Claps the parts of a word | P-LIT 1 Child demonstrates awareness that spoken language is composed of smaller segments of sound. |
Clap the parts, Clap long words |
| ✏️ Traces lines, shapes and letters | P-LIT 6 Child writes for a variety of purposes using increasingly sophisticated marks. P-PMP 3 Child demonstrates increasing control, strength, and coordination of small muscles. |
Lines and shapes, Trace the letters, Trace tricky letters, Zigzags and curves |
| 📖 Listens to a story and answers questions about it | P-LC 1 Child attends to communication and language from others. P-LC 2 Child understands and responds to increasingly complex communication and language from others. P-LIT 4 Child demonstrates an understanding of narrative structure through storytelling/re-telling. P-LIT 5 Child asks and answers questions about a book that was read aloud. |
Pip's rainy day, A seed grows, Story time, Kind helpers |
| 🗂️ Knows words for groups of things | P-LC 6 Child understands and uses a wide variety of words for a variety of purposes. P-LC 7 Child shows understanding of word categories and relationships among words. |
Word groups |
Nature & science
| Skill | Head Start ELOF goals | Lessons |
|---|---|---|
| 🌱 Tells living things from things that aren't alive | P-SCI 1 Child observes and describes observable phenomena (objects, materials, organisms, and events). P-SCI 3 Child compares and categorizes observable phenomena. |
Living or not?, Spot them!, A seed grows, Our class pet, What living things need |
| 🐾 Knows animals and where they live | P-SCI 1 Child observes and describes observable phenomena (objects, materials, organisms, and events). P-SCI 3 Child compares and categorizes observable phenomena. |
Where animals live, Spot them!, Fur, feathers or scales? |
| 🌦️ Notices the weather and uses the five senses | P-SCI 1 Child observes and describes observable phenomena (objects, materials, organisms, and events). P-SCI 2 Child engages in scientific talk. |
What's the weather?, Five senses, The four seasons |
| 🔮 Guesses what will happen next | P-SCI 4 Child asks a question, gathers information, and makes predictions. P-SCI 6 Child analyzes results, draws conclusions, and communicates results. |
What's the weather?, A seed grows, The four seasons, What living things need |
Feelings & friends
| Skill | Head Start ELOF goals | Lessons |
|---|---|---|
| 😊 Names feelings in self and others | P-SE 6 Child expresses a broad range of emotions and recognizes these emotions in self and others. |
Someone is sad, How do they feel?, Balloon breaths, Pip's rainy day, A big angry feeling, What should Pip do?, Feelings detective, Calm-down tools |
| 🎈 Calms down with slow breaths | P-ATL 1 Child manages emotions with increasing independence. P-SE 8 Child manages emotions with increasing independence. |
Balloon breaths, A big angry feeling, Calm-down tools |
| ✋ Waits and takes turns | P-ATL 4 Child manages actions, words, and behavior with increasing independence. P-ATL 5 Child demonstrates an increasing ability to control impulses. |
The same truck, Wait for green, Waiting for the slide, Wait your turn |
| 🤝 Is kind, helps and solves problems with friends | P-SE 3 Child engages in and maintains positive interactions and relationships with other children. P-SE 5 Child uses basic problem-solving skills to resolve conflicts with other children. P-SE 7 Child expresses care and concern toward others. |
The same truck, Someone is sad, The new classmate, Waiting for the slide, What should Pip do?, Kind helpers, Wait your turn |
| 🧹 Follows classroom routines and looks after things | P-ATL 2 Child follows classroom rules and routines with increasing independence. P-ATL 3 Child appropriately handles and takes care of classroom materials. |
Good morning, class!, Clean-up time, Our class pet |
| 🧑🏫 Gets along with and helps grown-ups | P-SE 1 Child engages in and maintains positive relationships and interactions with adults. P-SE 2 Child engages in prosocial and cooperative behavior with adults. |
Good morning, class!, Teacher's helper |
| 🧱 Plays together and keeps trying | P-ATL 7 Child persists in tasks. P-SE 4 Child engages in cooperative play with other children. |
Our tall tower, Dress-up corner |
| 🏫 Feels part of the group and proud of what they can do | P-SE 9 Child recognizes self as a unique individual having own abilities, characteristics, emotions, and interests. P-SE 10 Child expresses confidence in own skills and positive feelings about self. P-SE 11 Child has sense of belonging to family, community, and other groups. |
Good morning, class!, The new classmate, Choose a center, I can do it! |
| 👂 Listens, pays attention and remembers | P-ATL 6 Child maintains focus and sustains attention with minimal adult support. P-ATL 8 Child holds information in mind and manipulates it to perform tasks. |
Story time, Snack helper |
| 🔄 Handles changes, makes choices and wonders why | P-ATL 9 Child demonstrates flexibility in thinking and behavior. P-ATL 10 Child demonstrates initiative and independence. P-ATL 11 Child shows interest in and curiosity about the world around them. |
Teacher's helper, Choose a center, Rainy day, Our class pet |
| 🎭 Uses imagination in play | P-ATL 13 Child uses imagination in play and interactions with others. |
Dress-up corner |
Body & health
| Skill | Head Start ELOF goals | Lessons |
|---|---|---|
| 🤸 Moves the body in lots of ways | P-PMP 1 Child demonstrates control, strength, and coordination of large muscles. P-PMP 2 Child uses perceptual information to guide motions and interactions with objects and other people. |
Move like the animals, Clean hands, Balance and jump |
| ✍️ Uses fingers carefully | P-PMP 3 Child demonstrates increasing control, strength, and coordination of small muscles. |
Lines and shapes, Trace the letters, Trace tricky letters, Zigzags and curves |
| 🥕 Knows healthy food and clean hands | P-PMP 4 Child demonstrates personal hygiene and self-care skills. P-PMP 5 Child develops knowledge and skills that help promote nutritious food choices and eating habits. |
Healthy food, Clean hands, Healthy and safe |
| 🦺 Knows how to stay safe | P-PMP 6 Child demonstrates knowledge of personal safety practices and routines. |
Stay safe, Healthy and safe |
Source: Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five, Office of Head Start, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Read the framework